Flexible sheet struck from below to project game pieces into target

ABSTRACT

A game of skill for children is played with a stretched sheet of flexible material supported in an elevated position beneath a target cup and a plurality of playing pieces adapted to be placed on the sheet at selected marked locations. Each player is provided with means for striking the underside of the sheet adjacent his playing pieces with the object of getting his pieces in the target cup.

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Inventor Perry J. Grant Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Appl. No. 882,651

Filed Dec. 5, i969 Assignee Reuben Klamer, d/b/a Reuben Klamer 8:

qei te r Beverly Hills, Calif.

FLEXIBLE SHEET STRUCK FROM BELOW TO PROJECT GAME PIECES INTO TARGET 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/95 G, 273/101, 273/105 A Int. Cl A63b 67/00 Field of Search 273/95, 95 G, 95 D, 101

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,185,071 5/1916 Doebrich 273/95 D 2,535,225 12/1950 Oczkowski 273/101 3,172,664 3/1965 Lohr 273/95 G FOREIGN PATENTS 7,304 3/1906 Great Britain 273/95 G Primary Examiner- Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Suskind Attorney-Amster & Rothstein ABSTRACT: A game of skill for children is played with a stretched sheet of flexible material supported in an elevated position beneath a target cup and a plurality of playing pieces adapted to be placed on the sheet at selected marked locations. Each player is provided with means for striking the underside of the sheet adjacent his playing pieces with the object of getting his pieces in the target cup.

PATENTEDN 2 INVENTOR.

PERRY J. GRANT HTTORNEYS FLEXIBLE SHEET STRUCK FROM BELOW TO PROJECT GAME PIECES INTO TARGET The present invention relates generally to toys, and more specifically to a game of skill for children.

Children's skill games preferably provide a child with individual challenge, while permitting competition between a number of players. The game should include sufficient variety to maintain a childs interest, but the game rules must be easily learned and remembered. The game apparatus should be simple to assemble, relatively indestructible and preferably inexpensive to manufacture.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a game for children which satisfies all of the above requirements.

A game demonstrating objects and features of the present invention includes a playing surface comprising a stretched sheet of flexible material supported in an elevated position with respect to a table top or other support surface, leaving a clearance space there between. A target cup is suspended over the sheet and a number of playing discs of various colors are placed at selected locations on the playing surface. Each player is provided with means for striking the underside of the playing surface adjacent the playing discs with the object of propelling the discs upward into the target cup. The playing surface may include a number of apertures of sufficient size to pennit the playing discs to pass there through and the target cup may include a plurality of target areas having different point values in the scoring of the game. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flexible sheet is supported by a plurality of rigid legs and is maintained in stretched condition by a number of springably flexed resilient struts which extend over the sheet between the legs and target cup.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred but none the less illustrative embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. ll is a perspective view of the game apparatus fully assembled with a plain playing surface;

FIG. 2 is a top view thereof with position markings;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3, partially broken away showing the game apparatus partially disassembled; and

FIG. 5 is a broken away top view of the target cup and one of the support struts.

Referring now to drawings, the game apparatus comprises a square sheet of flexible material supported in an elevated position by four ridged legs 12, one at each of the four corners of the sheet. Extending upwardly from legs 12 are connectors and four resilient wire struts 14 which are inwardly over the playing surface and terminate at the rim of a target cup 16, supporting the cup above the playing surface. The wire struts l4 serve both to support the target cup 16 and, because of their resilient nature, to maintain playing surface 10 in a stretched condition.

As best seen in FIG. 4, each wire strut 14 has a looped end 14a and a straight end 14b. The target cup 16 includes an annular flange 34 about its upper lip having four radial slots at positions 90 apart. Each slot is closed on the upper side of its inner edge by member 33 and is closed at the outer edge of its lower side by member 32. To assemble the game apparatus, wires 14 are inserted upwardly through slots 30 as shown in the right-hand slot in FIG. 4 until loop 14a engages members 32, 33. Wires 14 are then pivoted downwardly to the engaging position shown in the left-hand slot in FIG. 4, with wire 14 resting against the upper edge of member 32 and the underside of member 33. In this position, member 33 obstructs further rotation of wire 14 and retains the ends of wires 14 adjacent loop 14a in a substantially horizontal position.

Ends 14b of wires 14 are each inserted in plastic connectors 20 which include narrow upper bores 20a of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of wires 14, and lower bores 20b of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of legs 12. A flange 20c surrounds the opening of bore 20b. As best seen in FIG. 4, end 14b of member 14 fits snugly in bore 20a while leg 12 protrudes through aperture 26 in sheet 10 and fits snugly in bore 20b.

In assembling the apparatus, wire members 14 are fitted into slots 30 in rims 34 as described above and plastic connectors 20 are fitted over ends 14b. The playing surface 10 is then stretched out and the target cup and wire assembly is laid out on the flexible sheet in appropriate position. A first leg 12 is then inserted through a first aperture 26 in sheet 10 and into bore 20b of the appropriate plastic connector 20. The opposing leg is then inserted in a similar manner, requiring struts 14 to be bent into the arced position shown in FIG. 3. The length of members 14 are selected such that this arced position maintains cup 16 an appropriate distance above playing surface 10. The natural resiliency of members 14 applies a stretching force to opposing corners of sheet 10 tending to keep sheet 10 in a substantially stretched condition. Flange 20c bears against sheet 10 adjacent holes 26 preventing the leg and wire assemblies from springing through holes 26. The second opposing pair of legs and wires are assembled in a similar manner to create the overall structure shown in FIG. 1.

To play the game, each player is provided with three playing discs 38 and a paddle 40 comprising a handle 40a and a paddle head 40b. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the paddle and playing discs are colored so as to identify each group of three discs as being those of one player. The object of the game is for each player, in turn, to strike his own disc 38 with paddle 40 from beneath the surface of sheet 10 to knock the playing discs upward into target cup 16. Sheet 10 is preferably substantially transparent so that a player may position his paddle beneath the sheet.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, sheet 10 includes markings defining various play areas on its surface for the positioning of playing discs at various times as the game progresses. Sheet 10 also includes four apertures 28 of a diameter such that playing discs 38 can pass therethrough. Apertures 28 are located at positions about the center of the playing surface substantially beneath each of the struts 14.

At the start of the game, each player places his three playing pieces on the three circular markings 40 adjacent his playing position. Each player on his turn tries to hit any one of his discs with his paddle from underneath sheet 10 with the object of getting it into the target cup 16. If he succeeds in getting it in the outer annular area of cup 16 he scores two points if he succeeds in getting it within the inner circular area 18 of cup 16 he scores five points. If a player hits his own disc through one of the four apertures in the sheet, the disc is out of play and the player may no longer score with that disc. A player on his turn, instead of playing his own disc, may try to hit the disc of an opponent through one of apertures 28 and, if he succeeds, the opponents disc is out of play. If a player hits his own disc off the sheet but not through one of the apertures 28 he returns it to one of his start positions 41. If he hits an opponents disc off the sheet, the opponent gets a free shot from the area 42 in FIG. 2 adjacent his playing position. The game ends when there are no discs left on the sheet and the player with the highest score wins.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangement is merely an example of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous other structural arrangements and configurations of play areas on sheet 10 will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A game of skill comprising:

a. a sheet of flexible material defining a playing surface;

b. a plurality of legs supporting said sheet in an elevated position leaving a clearance space therebeneath;

c. a target cup;

(I. a plurality of resilient struts supporting said cup above said sheet;

e. said struts being springably flexed,

f. means connecting one end of each strut to one of said legs and maintaining said sheet in a stretched condition;

g. a plurality of playing discs for placement on said sheet and striking means movable in said clearance space beneath said sheet for striking the underside of said sheet 5 adjacent said playing discs to propel said discs toward said target cup 

1. A game of skill comprising: a. a sheet of flexible material defining a playing surface; b. a plurality of legs supporting said sheet in an elevated position leaving a clearance space therebeneath; c. a target cup; d. a plurality of resilient struts supporting said cup above said sheet; e. said struts being springably flexed, f. means connecting one end of each strut to one of said legs and maintaining said sheet in a stretched condition; g. a plurality of playing discs for placement on said sheet and striking means movable in said clearance space beneath said sheet for striking the underside of said sheet adjacent said playing discs to propel said discs toward said target cup. 